We have been busy here in the homeschooling blog, and despite the upcoming holidays, we have been writing up a storm. Here’s this week’s Sunday Evening Review–in case you’ve missed something.
Last week Andrea started what I hope will be a regular feature: the vocabulary word of the day. This week she shares four new words with us: syncretism, autodidact, extreme and mediocrity. Not sure how to use one of those in a sentence? Then you must check out the blog!!
In Homeschoolers Control Their Children’s Environment, Andrea shares with us some things that we as parents can “control” such as curriculum but points out that there are many, many things that we as parents just have to help our kids deal with.
Next, we talk about how kids go to school in places where the geography makes it impossible to attend school. In, Proving it Can be Done in Australia, Andrea points out how lucky these kids are to have such a relaxed system of education.
Andrea also tackled the Difference Between Homeschooling and Public School at Home. Many homeschoolers do not like ‘school at home’ programs because they fear that using them will force those of us who want to home school on our own terms, into more government control. Personally, I think that as long as educational is determined by state statutes as opposed to federal law, homeschoolers are “safe” from further regulations. So I say: to each his own.
Andrea (she’s been very busy, hasn’t she) also shares with us 10 suggestions for the homeschooling families on your list. Even as I write this, I’m not quite finished with my Christmas shopping. If you’re not either, look at this list for a few extra ideas.
I only got to write two articles for this weeks’ homeschoolers’ advent calendar. Ironically they are both big projects which is likely why there are only two! Did you make that gingerbread structure yet? If not, check out this blog on how to incorporate the two into a learning project. My second advent activity is the BIG shopping day. This year the big shopping day took nothing short of twelve whole hours, lots of bribes in the form of candy (my kids NEVER eat candy), two extra adult mommy helpers (in addition to my husband and I), and one fabulously delicious crab and lobster quesadilla. To say the least, it was an adventure.
Again, in what I believe will be a somewhat regular series, Andrea shares with us some reasons why she is glad she homeschools. This week, she talked about class size, and school evacuations. No doubt, homeschooling has its advantages.
In what I think may be my personal favorite article of the week, Andrea talks about how penmanship is no longer practiced. I have never made the connection (although I can assure you that my children practice penmanship) but she makes an excellent point about how penmanship is an art and must be developed–just like any other art.
Andrea also shared with us what one of her “typical” days in home schooling looks like in a three part blog. (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) She then gave us a follow up blog on what exactly relaxed homeschooling is. (You can look this week for my blog on what our typical day looks like to compare.)
On Friday, Andrea shared with us a story about a boy who was ordered to be homeschooled instead of suspension. I have to be honest and say that sometimes I just scratch my head at the educational system.
What was the most important piece of advice that you ever got before you started home schooling? For Andrea, it was to spend as little money as possible that first year. I totally agree that you do not have to spend lots of money to give your child an excellent education. Look for a follow up blog soon that offers the single most important piece of advice someone gave me!
That concludes our week in review. We certainly have been busy and I hope you have enjoyed the blogs and found a few of them helpful as well!
Look at the other ‘Sunday Evening Review’ blogs!
Other people are talking about. . .
What Your Second Grader Needs to Know: Language Arts
‘Empirical’ Evidence that Homeschooling Works!
I Don’t Judge You For Not Homeschooling